Omega-3 reduces chemotherapy toxicity in liver cancer patients
Liver cancer: Omega 3 supplements reduce toxic effects of chemotherapy
The Omega 3 counteract the toxic effects of chemotherapy on liver cancer patients. This is shown by research published in Human ad Experimental Toxicology. Researchers at Muslim University in Aligarh, India, found that liver parameters altered by chemotherapy treatment with cisplatin can be normalized by taking flaxseed oil, an Omega-3-rich supplement.
Chemotherapy and Omega-3
Several studies have shown that Omega-3 fatty acids are useful in preventing some forms of cancer as well as reducing the size of neoplastic masses and the incidence of metastasis. To date, most of the findings concern colon cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. Such have led to the conclusion that these nutrients can be very useful especially when used in combination with traditional treatments: in fact, Omega-3s are able to amplify the effects of radiation and chemotherapy. These fatty acids make cancer cells more sensitive to the action of free radicals, molecules that can damage cellular structures and are generated by radiation and some anticancer drugs. In addition to this type of action against neoplastic cells, Omega-3s have protective activity against the organism in which the tumor has appeared. This is the case with cyclophosphamide, a well-known chemotherapy drug that can have toxic side effects that are counteracted by the very intake of Omega-3s.
An aid for the liver
The study by Indian researchers focused on the side effects of cisplatin, one of the most potent chemotherapy drugs for cancer treatment. Several studies have shown the toxicity of this molecule to kidney tissue, but when taken in very high doses this chemotherapy drug can also damage the liver. Given the many benefits exerted by Omega-3s, scientists decided to test whether these fatty acids could limit the damage induced in the liver by cisplatin administration. Their research involved rats, which were fed a standard diet or food enriched with flaxseed oil. After 10 days, the animals were given a single dose of cisplatin, equal to 6 milligrams per kilogram of body mass. Analyses conducted on rats that did not receive flaxseed oil showed that the chemotherapeutic drug taken in these doses changes the body's antioxidant defenses, reducing the activity of the enzymes catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase. In addition, the activity of several proteins involved in sugar metabolism was also found to be altered by chemotherapy. However, taking the Omega-3 rich supplement was shown to be effective in reducing the magnitude of all these changes.
Omega-3, an efficacy based on antioxidant power
According to the authors, the benefits of flaxseed oil for the liver health of animals undergoing chemotherapy depend on the antioxidant properties of this dietary supplement. As cisplatin continues to be one of the most effective chemotherapeutics, the results obtained in this study open the way for interesting new strategies to limit its toxicity.
Source
1. Naqshbandi A, Khan W, Rizwan S, Khan F, "Studies on the protective effect of flaxseed oil on cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity," Hum Exp Toxicol. 2012 Jan 16. [Epub ahead of print].
